Juniper trees in Monticello Valley. This Southern Utah region is part of the greater Canyonlands National Park ecosystem. High desert vegetation of Colorado Plateau, where regular supply of water is not an option, is very resilient and can remain in semi-hibernated state for centuries. Slow growing Juniper trees can easily live to be 700 years old, with some reaching the Millennium Mark. Centuries of open blue skies interrupted from time to time by fast moving storm clouds.